Apparatus for magnetically supporting a non-magnetically attractable article



Dec. 6, 1966 c. o. GRANTHAM APPARATUS FOR MAGNETICALLY SUPPORTING A NON-MAGNETICALLY ATTRACTABLE ARTICLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 5, 1965 CURTIS O. GRANTHAM INVENTOR.

19 c. o. GRANTHAM 3, 90

AP ATUS FOR MAGNETICA SUPPO NG A NON-MAGNETICALL ATTRA BLE AR LE Filed May 5, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 CURTIS 0. GRANTHAM 1 INVENTOR.

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HIS AGENT United States Patent 3 289 990 APPARATUS FOR MAhNhTreALLY SUPPORTING LIEON-MAGNETICALLY ATTRACTABLE ARTI- Curtis 0. Grantham, 7127 Feuton Drive, Dallas, Tex. Filed May 3, 1965,8131. No. 452,749 Claims. (or. 24S-2i36) This invention relates to article supporting devices and more particularly to supporting devices to magnetically support articles for easy accessibility and to enable ready replacement thereof onto a conventional bracket or hanger, in such a manner as requires a minimum of time to obtain the article wanted and the minimum of time in which to replace the article when it is no longer in use.

Various holding devices have been proposed heretofore, but these, for the most part, were complex in construction and were not as readily adaptable to a variety of uses as is the present device.

The present device is so constructed that it may be made plain or ornamental and may be so prepared as to be quickly secured to any normal wall surface without marring the surface or defacing the finish thereof.

An object of this invention is to provide a holder in which a permanent magnet is incorporated.

Another object of the invention is to provide an article supporting device which may be made to be ornamental and which may be made in single units or in multiple, so as to accommodate a single article, or several units may be attached in side-by-side relation to accommodate a multiplicity of articles.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an article holding device in which a magnetic element is incorporated, so that various articles, such as soap, tubes of tooth paste, tubes of shaving cream, or other toilet articles, may be readily attached to the article supporting device by an associated magnetic element.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide an article supporting device which has a pressure adhesive surface thereon to enable the article supporting device to be readily supported on a wall without ancillary fastenings.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an article holding device which is made of hollow plastic with a compatible magnetic material embedded therein.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a plastic article supporting device having a permanent magnet embedded therein.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an article supporting device which is simple in construction, easy to manufacture, low in cost of manufacture, which is durable, and which will readily hold a variety of articles having magnetically compatible material thereon.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an article of manufacture having an outstanding portion thereof in the form of an animate object, which article has a magnet embedded therein,

Another object of the invention is to provide an article of manufacture, an outstanding portion of which has nonrnagnetized material embedded therein which extends outward therefrom, which is magnetically attractable.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an article for use with an article supporting device wherein said article has a magnetically attractable element therein.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an article with a magnet therein for use with a holder which has a compatible magnetic material therein.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide an article for use with a magnetic holder, wherein at least one magnetically attractable nail is associated with said article.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a bar of soap, into which a magnet extends longitudinally, for use with an article supporting member having a magnetically compatible element therein.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a bar of soap having a longitudinal member extending therethrough, the ends of which member are magnetically compatible and extend out from the ends of the bar of soap.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an elastomer cup-shaped member which is yieldable so as to extend over and cover the end of the article to be supported on an article supporting device having a magnet therein.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a conical elastomer cup to complementally fit a frustroconical cap of a tube or the like, in which elastomer cup is anchored a magnetically compatible member for support by a magnet on a magnetic article supporting device.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a yieldable, elastomer, cup-like member having a recess formed therein, with a magnetically compatible member in the end thereof opposite the recess, to fit over an article to be supported by a magnetic article holding device, and which cup has an outstanding tab thereon to aid in stretching the elastomer cup to insert the cup onto or remove the cup from an article to be supported on the magnetic article supporting device.

With these objects in mind and others which will become manifest as the description proceeds, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters designate like parts in the several views thereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of an article holding device having the arcuate shape of a horse head, showing a magnet extending outward from the mouth thereof, and showing a magnetically attractable nail attached thereto with the outline of a bar of soap shown in dashed outline, and showing a magnetically attractable nail in the 0pposite end thereof;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal, medial, sectional view through a plastic article holder as shown in FIG. 1, showing the interior thereof as being hollow, and showing a magnet embedded within the plastic;

FIG. 3 is a view of an article holder which is shown in the form of a dogs head, showing a non-magnetized, magnetically compatible element extending out of the mouth end of the head, showing a permanent bar magnet in full outline embedded in a bar of soap which is shown in dashed outline, and showing the magnet adhering to the magnetically compatible material in the article supporting device;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal, medial view taken through the form of the invention as shown in FIG. 3, showing the inner portion thereof hollow, as molded by a centrifugal molding process, and showing a non-magnetized, magnetically compatible piece of material embedded therein and extending outward therefrom;

FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view of the form of the invention as shown in FIG. 3, showing a permanently tacky, pressure sensitive adhesive surface thereon, and showing a protective cover overa portion of the pressure sensitive adhesive;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 4, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 77 of FIG. 3 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, andshowing a bar magnet flattened to form an anchor within the length thereof;

FIG. 8 is an elevational view of a bar of soap, with an elongated, magnetically compatible material shown as extending therethrough, showing a head on each end thereof adjacent the end of the bar of soap, and showing a portion of a magnetic article supporting device in dashed outline;

FIG. 9 is a sectional. view taken on line 99 of FIG. 8, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 10 is an elevational view of a bar of soap with portions broken away and shown in section, to show a magnetically attractable element secured to each end of the 'bar of soap, showing an anchor strip extending therebetween, and showing a magnetic article supporting device in dashed outline in supporting relation with respect thereto;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken on line 1111 of FIG. 10, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 12 is an elevational view of a tube of material, such as tooth paste or the like, showing a yieldable elastomer cup fitted over the cap thereof in friction relation, showing a magnetically attractable element anchored in the end thereof with the elastomer cup being shown in section, and showing a magnetic article supporting device in contact relation with said magnetically attractable element;

FIG. 12A shows the elastomer cup fitted over the end of a brush handle;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken on line 1313 of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a perspective, elevational view of the elastomer cup, showing the magnetically attractable element extending outward therefrom, and showing a gripping tab extending outward therefrom;

FIG. 15 is a view similar to FIG. 8, but showing a modified form of magnetically attractable anchor therein;

FIG. 16 is a view similar to FIG. 8, but of a further modified form of magnetically attractable member and the means of mounting the magnetically attractable member in a bar of soap; and

FIG. 17 is a sectional view taken on line 1717 of FIG. 16, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

With more specific reference to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates generally an article supporting device which, in the present instance, is in the form of a horse head, but this merely illustrates an outstanding bracket portion 2 and a down-turned port-ion 4. The down-turned portion 4 has a permanent magnet 6 extending thereinto. The magnet 6 is of a permanently magnetic material and is preferably of a type similar to Alnico 7 and is notched as indicated at 8, FIG. 2. The outstanding bracket portion 2 and down-turned portion 4, which simulates the neck and head of a horse, is preferably made of plastic material, which is cast by a centrifugal process to produce a hollow 10 in the article supporting device which embeds the magnet 6 therein with substantially uniform wall thickness. The neck terminates in a plane surface 14 and preferably has a double-faced, permanently tacky, pressure sensitive sheet of adhesive material 12 thereon, which pressure sensitive adhesive material adheres to the plane surface 14. The outer surface of the adhesive material on the neck is normally covered with a protective cover 16, such as Holland cloth, treated paper or plastic sheet, which sheet may be readily removed to expose the adhesive surface.

The outstanding neck portion and down-turned neck portion of the head form a bracket or hanger, with a magnet 6 embedded in the nose portion and having the end thereof extending downward therefrom in exposed relation, so as to magnetically receive an article to be supported.

When the protective cover 16 is removed from the pressure sensitive adhesive surface 12, the hanger or bracket may be pressed against a plane surface, such as a tile wall or the like, and will adhere thereto and resist normal effort to dislodge the hanger or bracket therefrom. A magnetically attractable material such as a ferrous nail or magnetically attractable stainless steel nail 18 may be pressed into the ends of a bar of soap, such as indicated at 20, with the head 22 of the nail being adjacent the surface of the soap, so when the head 22 of the nail 18 is brought in close proximity to the lower face of magnet 6, the bar of soap 20 will be supported thereby, which will permit the water to drain therefrom with minimum waste of soap.

In view of the relatively low cost, the nails 18 may be plated or made of magnetically attractable stainless steel. The nail 18 may have corrugations 25 thereon, which are pressed into the soap, so the soap may be used until the bar is practically gone, whereupon, the nail may be removed and pressed into a new bar of soap. The corrugations 25 prevent ready withdrawal thereof.

Second form of invention The form of invention as shown in FIGS. 3 through 7 provides an inanimate head portion 31, which, in the present instance, has the configuration of a dogs head, having an outstanding neck or bracket portion 32 and a down-turned portion 34, as indicated by the nose of the dog. A bar of metal 36 is embedded in the material from which the head is formed, which material is preferably of a formaceous character, and may be a plastic which may be molded by injection molds or by centrifugal molds. The bar of metal 36 is notched, as indicated at 38, so as to be anchored within the formaceous material, such as the plastic from which the head. is formed. When formed by the centrifugal molding process, the interior 4!) is preferably hollow, to lighten the bracket and to economize on material. The bar of metal 36 is nonmagnetized material and extends downward below the lower end of down-turned portion 34 a sufficient distance to expose the lower end of the bar 36.

The end of the bracket or neck portion 3-2 opposite the head has a plane surface 44 on which is secured a permanently tacky, pressure sensitive adhesive material 42, which material may be in the form of a double faced sheet of pressure sensitive adhesive material with one face thereof adhering to the plane surface 44 and the other surface being covered with a protective coating 46, such as Holland cloth, treated paper or a sheet of plastic. The protective coating 46 may be readily removed, so that the outer face of the permanently tacky, pressure sensitive adhesive material will adhere to an upright plane surface, such as a wall of tile or other plane surface.

A magnetized piece of material such as a bar, indicated at 48, is embedded within a bar of soap, indicated at 50 which extends outward on each end of the soap, as indicated at 52. The bar 48 is of suflicient magnetic strength to be attracted by non-magnetized bar 36 and to adhere thereto. The bar 48 preferably has a deformation 54 within the length thereof to prevent the bar-magnet 48 from relative movement with respect to bar of soap 50. It is to be pointed out that the bar-magnet 48 may be made of relatively cheap ferrous material, which may be coated with an anti-oxidizing film or flash plated with various non-oxidizing plating materials. With the barmagnet thus located within the soap, at the time of manufacture, the bar of soap may be readily attached to any magnetically compatible material, whether magnetized or not magnetized. However, in the present instance a companion bracket member is shown which will enable the attachment of the bar of soap in a convenient place, as over a lavatory or other places of use.

If desired, the bar 48 may be made of high magnetically charged material, such as the various materials known to the trade as Alnico 7, etc. Such materials will enable a relatively large bar of soap to be suspended with a relatively small bar magnet therein.

Third form of invention The third form of the invention, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, embodies a bar of soap 60 formed around a magnetically attractable bar 62, which bar preferably has the ends upset, as indicated at 64, so as to anchor the bar 62 against relative longitudinal movement within the bar of soap 60, as the inner faces of the upset ends 64' are in bearing relation with respective ends of the bar of soap 60. The upset ends 64 are engageable with a magnet 6 on the down-turned portion 4 of the bracket, such as a horses nose, in a manner such as indicated in FIG. 1.

By having the bar of soap thus formed, bars of soap may be produced on large scale, with such magnetically attractable bar 62 therein, so they will be readily attachable to magnetic hangers such as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Fourth form of the invention A fourth form of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. and 11, wherein a bar of soap 70 has a pair of hooks 72 embedded therein, one of which hooks has an outwardly extending upset head 74. The upset head is made of magnetically attractable material and is attracted by magnet 6 in bracket 4, which may be a horses head or other simulated animal figure.

Extending between the hooks 72 is a perforate strip of material 76 which is embedded within the bar of soap 70 so as to stabilize and anchor the hooks after the soap melts away to some extent.

Fifth form of the invention The fifth form of the invention is shown in FIGS. 12 through 14, wherein an elastomer, cup-shaped member 80 has a magnetically attractable member 82 embedded therein, which cup-shaped member 80 has an outwardly extending magnetically attractable portion 84 which is adapted to engage with the magnet 6 in a bracket 4, which bracket 4 may be in the form of an animal head or the like. The elastomer, cup-shaped member 80 has a hollow portion 86 which is adapted to telescope over an object such as a cap 88 of a tooth paste tube 90 or the like, to fixedly hold the tube against relative movement while the elastomer cup 80 is being supported by magnet 6. To aid in inserting the elastomer cup 80 onto a cap 88 or removing it therefrom, a tab 92 is provided on the elastomer cup which enables the ready stretching or deformation of the cup 80 tofit a cap 88 or the handle of a tooth brush 94, or other object which it is desired to be sus pended fromthe magnet 6.

With the magnetically attractable material 82 embedded into an end of cup 80 and anchored therein, as by an enlarged head, the cup may be used to support various household articles, tools and. the like, which will give ready access thereto. By having a relatively deep cup portion 80 of soft elastomer material, one size cup may be readily deformed to fit a wide variety of sizes and shapes of articles for ready attachment to a convenient place of use, and while only two uses have been illustrated for such cup, it is to be understood that such uses are representative and not to place alimitation to the use thereof.

Sixth form of the invention The form of the invention as shown in FIG. has a bar of soap 100, in which a magnetically attractable wirelike element 102 is embedded in each end of the bar of soap. An arcuate portion 104 extends outwardly from each end of the bar of soap to enable a magnet 6 to engage the arcuate portion in magnetically attractable relation so a bracket or hanger 4, such as an animal head as shown in FIG. 1, may support the bar of soap 100 so it will readily drain and prevent rapid melting thereof.

Seventh form of invention This form of the invention is somewhat similar to the form of invention as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. A bar of soap 120 has an elastomer member 124 embedded therein, which elastomer member 124 has a reduced portion 126 intermediate the'ends thereof. Each end of elastomer member 124 receives magnetically attractable member 122 in bonded relation, with an end portion 128 of the magnetically attractable member extending out- 6 wardly from each end of the elastomer member 124 with each outer end of the magnetically attractable member being exposed on 'the respective opposite ends of the bar of soap for engagement with a magnet 6 on a bracket 4, which bracket may be in the form of an animal figure, such as shown in FIG. 1.

By having the elastomer member 124 embedded in soap 120, there is little likelihood of injury from sharp objects when the soap becomes melted or broken, as the elastomer member 124 flexes readily.

While the invention has been shown and described in several formsthereof, it is to be understood that these may be modified to specific adaptations and applications without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a bar of soap for use with a magnetic soap supporting bracket;

(a) a magnetically attractable, arcuate wire member extending into each end of the bar of soap in anchored relation, and

(1) a portion of the arc of said magnetically attractable, arcuate wire member extending outwardly from each end of said bar of soap for engagement with said magnetic soap supporting bracket.

2. In an apparatus for supporting a non-magnet article from a bracket having a magnet mounted therein;

(a) an elastomer member having a recess formed therein, which forms a relatively deep, cup-like member,

(b) a magnetically attractable anchor embedded in and bonded to said elastomer cup-like member,

(1) said magnetically attractable anchor having a reduced intermediate portion so as to form an abutment within said elastomer member.

3. In an apparatus for supporting a non-magnet article from a bracket having a magnet mounted therein as defined in claim 2 wherein;

(a) said elastomer cup member has an outwardly extending tab formed on a side thereof adjacent the open end of the cupped recess,

( 1) said outwardly extending tab formed on the side of said elastomer cup extending outward therefrom at a right angle thereto.

4. In a bar of soap for use with a magnetic soap supporting bracket;

(a) an elongated anchor member extending longitudina-lly along the central longitudinal axis of the bar of soap,

(1) a magnetically attractable head portion formed on an end of said anchor member adjacent the end of the bar of soap,

(2) a portion depending from said head portion which depending portion is held secured within the bar of soap,

(3) said depending portion including corrugations formed thereon to thereby firmly secure the elongated anchor member within the bar of soap in a manner to *removably present the magnetically attractable head portion to the magnetic soap supporting bracket,

(b) said supporting bracket including an outstanding plastic bracket portion having a downturned portion,

(1) a permanent magnet rigidly secured within said down-turned portion and with an end portion thereof freely extending therefrom,

(2) said outstanding bracket portion having a plane surface thereon with a sheet of pressure sensitive adhesive material thereon, whereby, the outer surface of said adhesively affixed on any suitable surface, and said permanent magnet releasably maintains said magnetically attractable head portion attached thereto so as to releasably secure a bar of soap adjacent the before mentioned suitable surface.

5. In a bar of soap for use with a magnetic, soap supporting bracket;

(a) an elongated anchor member of non-magnetic material extending longitudinally within the bar of soap, and

(b) a magnetically attractable end portion formed on each end of said elongated anchor member and each magnetically attractable end portion initially lying adjacent an end of said bar of soap.

6. In a bar of soap for use with a magnetic soap supporting bracket;

(a) an elongated anchor member of non-magnetic material extending longitudinally within the bar of soap,

(1) said anchor member of non-magnetic material is perforate,

(2) said non-magnetic, perforate anchor member has a hook member secured to each end thereof, which hook member has magnetically attractable end portions thereon, each of which end portions lies adjacent an end of the bar of soap.

7. In a bar of soap for use with a magnetic soap supporting bracket;

(a) an elongated anchor member extending longitudinally within the bar of soap,

(1) said elongated member within said bar of soap being an elastomer member, and

(b) a magnetically attractable end portion embedded in each end of said elastomer member so as to have at least a face portion thereof exposed and being adjacent each end of the bar of soap, so as to secure the bar of soap to said magnet on said bracket by magnetic attraction.

8. In a bar of soap for use with a magnetic soap sup porting bracket;

(a) an elongated anchor member longitudinally aligned within said bar of soap,

(1) magnetically attractable end pontions associated with said anchor member adjacent to each end of said bar of soap,

(b) said magnetically attractable end portions inc-luding a magnetically attractable member secured to the end thereof, with a portion thereof embedded within the bar of soap and depending from said magnetically attractable ends and toward said elongated anchor member.

9. A bar of soap for use with a magnetic, soap supporting bracket, as defined in claim 8, wherein (a) said elongated anchor member is provided with means forming perforations therein,

(b) said depending portion of one of said end portions is in the form of a hook, which hook is adapted to engage a perforation in said anchor member to thereby maintain said magnetically attractable end portion in aligned relationship with the bar of soap.

10. A combination magnetic bracket for supporting soap and a bar of soap comprising:

(a) a bracket formed of plastic and having a plane surface on an end thereof,

(1) a coating of permanently tacky adhesive material secured on said plane surface so as to form a bonding agent to adapt said bracket to be secured to a plane surface,

(b) a magnet on the opposite end of said 'bracket'from said plane surface,

(0) a bar of soap including an elongated anchor member longitudinally aligned therein,

(1) magnetically attractable end portions associated with said anchor member adjacent to each end of said bar of soap, and

((1) said magnetically attractable end portions including a magnetically attractable member secured to the end thereof, with a portion thereof embedded within the bar of soap and depending fromsaid magnetically attractable end members and toward said elongated anchor member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 622,873 4/1899 Welch 248-359 831,391 9/1906 Ubellar 24-256 843,330 2/1907 Drought 248-359 852,305 4/1907 Wach 248-359 1,050,112 1/1913 Douglas 248-360 1,342,844 6/1920 Davis 248-359 1,841,231 1/ 1932 Wahlberg 248-360 2,217,514 10/1940 Henry 220-69 2,297,806 10/1942 Smith 120-108 2,307,752 1/ 1943 Anderson 248-359 2,465,971 3/ 1949 Leblang 46-45 2,474,942 7/1949 Hawkins 248-206 2,506,400 5/1950 Wietz 46-45 2,523,351 9/1950 Armstrong 33-216 2,597,925 5/ 1952 Edgar 248-206 2,697,642 12/1954 Rudy 306-1 2,739,632 3/1956 Rodriguez ISO-2.1 2,771,219 11/1956 Dewey 222- X 3,046,588 7/1962 Tobolski et al 15-143 3,125,824 3/1964 Staver 118-76 3,169,743 2/ 1965 Page 248-206 3,190,599 6/ 1965 Margulis 248-206 X FOREIGN PATENTS 905,532 3/ 1954 Germany.

880,914 10/ 1961 Great Britain.

321,047 6/ 1957 Switzerland.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Examiner. 

1. IN A BAR OF SOAP FOR USE WITH A MAGNETIC SOAP SUPPORTION BRACKET; (A) A MAGNETICALLY ATTRACTABLE, ARCUATE WIRE MEMBER EXTENDING INTO EACH END OF THE BAR OF SOAP IN ANCHORED RELATION, AND (1) A PORTION OF THE ARC OF SAID MAGNETICALLY ATTRACTABLE, ARCUATE WIRE MEMBER EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM EACH END OF SAID BAR OF SOAP FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID MAGNETIC SOAP SUPPORTING BRACKET. 